Hello to all.
About nine years ago I had a 1.25 acre pond made on the twenty
acres where I live (best thing I ever did). Last year I hired
an excavator to enlarge it to make it 2 acres in size. When I
had it originally dug I was told by the excavator and the DNR rep
that the pond wouldn't raise my property taxes. Over the following years my propery taxes have went up and up steadily.
I never really minded the increases until I noticed how low the property values in the area have went down. Now I am thinking of going to the review board to try to lower my assessment. I live in central Michigan and was wondering if anyone could comment on whether or not an excavated empoundment type spring fed pond should figure in on my assessment. I was wondering how some of the other states handled similar situations. Also, I might add, I was told by the Department of Natural Resources, the excavator and the local state agra inspector that no permits were needed when I originally had the pond made. Thank you for any anticipated responses.

Talk to your neighbors and see if their taxes have gone up also. If they have then you can see if a bunch of you can go in and challenge based on property values going down. There are people who do that as a business.


BTW welcome to PB -- I missed that it was your first post.

Welcome to Pond Boss!

Workman, I know down here in Fl. there has been local areas that have done just what ewest recomended and had good results. My taxes dropped due to a meeting held to reassess the rates. I didnt go to it (was at work) but many locals did. If enough pitchforks are pointed at government officials amazing things can happen...

I am only a bit over an hour from you.

Welcome to the living and ever growing tax machine that is Michigan.

Last year our property taxes went up quite a chunk. Supposedly to pay for a new High School. Now they are never going to build it and our property taxes are on the rise, again.

A couple years ago, many townships rezoned industrial property to commercial. Industrial property was exempt from school millage, while commercial was not. One Ind. property I had, they almost doubled the taxable value shortly after taking possession. The township was bankrupt and the State was auditing their books for the seven years prior. I should have looked closer. A whole bunch of other stuff was really crooked in that township. But the State and County were guiding them.

If some other BS get's through in MI. Riparian Rights will be stripped. Your pond will then be considered controlled waters of the State, which means that the State OWNS IT. Plus, if you own a well, the water you pump is owned by the State and subject to Use and TAX!

THEY REALLY WANT EVERYONE TO LEAVE, DON'T THEY!

Not the same thing but I just got an assessment of ~ $1500.00 for sales tax return from my state revenue department. They're telling me I forgot to fill in the exemption line on my return, which I find really hard to believe. I only have a retail license for my fish sales, as my taxidermy is considered a service in Indiana and therefore I don't need to charge sales tax for that.

My sales tax came to a whopping eight dollars and odd change and now I'm being assessed for my entire taxidermy income. Trouble is I can't find my copy to save my life (I could have swore I saved it on my computer but it's not here.) I've requested a copy twice with two individuals with a promise it's in the mail, with still no copy. I only have 40 days to file my protest and I can't help thinking they are stalling on me.

Ouch!!! I hope it comes in. It is hard enough when you have paperwork. [my personal opinion is they have been developing a language only they know. It is called "The C & F , I only work here, so I can't be blamed Program", so take a number, and I probably can't help you]

Workman, ewest's advice is the best. I might suggest talking with local realtors. They deal with "real" property values, what the market dictates. And, I'm betting they are confronted with property tax questions all the time and may give you another perspective how to deal with it.

I have a lawyer fight my taxes every year. i pay him 30% of whatever he saves me each year on the taxes. I have had to fight my taxes every year on every piece of property I own. I have found it to just be one of the headaches of being a land owner. If you ask around I am sure you can find the same service in your area

I've got an appeal in on my property taxes, too.

My situation is a bit different since I own a bunch of undevelopable land in the middle of a subdivision and they want to assess it as though they are home-sites even though they won't let me build anything of any kind (not even a barn) on any of my land. We're telling them that they can't have it both ways - if they won't allow any building on it, they can't tax it as a subdivision lot. If they want to assess my properties as buildable lots then, they have to allow us to build on them (which they are not going to do).